Latest Articles about Ukraine
OUR UKRAINE AND VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO REVIVE THEIR FORTUNES
On April 18, the opposition Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT) and Our Ukraine blocs permanently withdrew their deputies from Ukraine’s parliament. Together, the factions account for 202 of the Rada’s 450 deputies. With no constitutional majority, the parliament -- which was disbanded by presidential decree on April... MORE
CAN UKRAINE’S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT BE UNBIASED?
Today, April 17, Ukraine’s Constitutional Court (CC) began considering an appeal by a group of pro-government parliamentarians regarding President Viktor Yushchenko’s April 2 decree on the dissolution of parliament. The CC should decide not only on the question of early parliamentary elections, but also, indirectly,... MORE
CHERNOBYL MARCH WILL FOCUS ON VICTIMS
Following the large rally that took place in Minsk on March 25 to commemorate the Day of Freedom (see EDM March 28), plans are well under way for the "Path of Chernobyl" event on April 26, traditionally the largest public demonstration of the season. The... MORE
IS COMPROMISE POSSIBLE BETWEEN YUSHCHENKO AND RULING COALITION?
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has rejected calls for a truce from Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and ignored the pacifying overtures made by Yanukovych’s allies in parliament last week. Yushchenko insists that his April 2 decree to dissolve parliament was in line with the constitution and... MORE
YUSHCHENKO RADICALIZES AS POLITICAL CRISIS DEEPENS
On Monday, April 2, President Viktor Yushchenko issued a decree disbanding parliament and plunging Ukraine into a political crisis (see EDM, April 4). Elections are set for May 27 -- before the Constitutional Court will rule on the legality of the decree. Yushchenko is a... MORE
YUSHCHENKO RULES TO DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT
Yesterday, April 2, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree dissolving parliament, which the parliamentary majority immediately rejected. Yushchenko’s opponents -- the ruling coalition, consisting of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions (PRU), the Socialists, and the Communists -- believe that Yushchenko had no... MORE
UKRAINE NAMES NEW FOREIGN MINISTER
On March 21 Ukraine’s parliament approved President Viktor Yushchenko’s choice for foreign minister, Arseny Yatsenyuk, 32. The appointment ends a standoff of nearly four months between Yushchenko and the Cabinet of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. The new minister has no experience with diplomatic work, but,... MORE
YUSHCHENKO’S PARTY THREATENED BY DEFECTIONS
On March 21 Anatoliy Kinakh accepted an offer from Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych’s government to become minister of economics. The government is allied to the National Unity (formerly Anti-Crisis) coalition composed of the Party of Regions, Communist, and Socialist parties. Kinakh’s appointment marks a... MORE
FORMER AND CURRENT UKRAINIAN INTERIOR MINISTERS READY TO CONFRONT EACH OTHER
Ukrainian law-enforcement agencies are not concealing their displeasure with the behavior of former interior minister Yuriy Lutsenko, one of the key figures of the 2004 Orange Revolution. Lutsenko has set up the “People’s Self-Defense” movement and is touring the regions in order to find out... MORE
UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE A PRIORITY FOR YUSHCHENKO
The language card is being played in Ukraine again, which often happens when elections loom. On February 22 Ukraine’s parliament, which is dominated by Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions (PRU), decided to vote by the end of July on a bill that grants... MORE